In Tenderness

In tenderness He sought me
Weary and sick with sin
And on His shoulders brought me back to His fold again
While angels in His presence sang,
until the courts of heaven rang.

Can we just talk about this simple truth "there is love that came."

Straining to see people in the dim lighting of Falls Park my heart sank when I didn't see anyone.

But then it skipped a beat when I realized the girl sitting hunched over in tears in the center of the circle was who I had come to find.

I made a wide half circle around the group.

"I thought she said she was alone?" 

 "Maybe it's not her?" 

Inching closer, I realized it was her.

"Why have I never taken a self defense class before" 

 "I think I can take out the small one... oh he's not small he's hunched over.... never mind"

"Why do I only have my taser when it's light out and I'm in a safe place!"

"I think their praying... I think strangers are praying over her!" 

"People who pray don't kill people right..." 

Slipping past one of the people encircling her I sat on the wet fountain edge next to her.

Realizing not one head was lifted, the prayers of the saints were flooding from strangers lips covering my sweet friend and lifting to heaven.

They were strangers to her too, just four Christians passing by when the Spirit told them to stop and pray with a stranger. 

Extravagant love pursued one daughter when she felt like she walked in darkness.

Love that came for just one who felt like she had wandered from the fold. 

Just a walk, but perfectly planned so that one in despair would cross with four willing to speak truth and pray in the name of the one who breaks the chains of despair. 


For years my greatest fear has been to be loved and then abandoned. "True love casts out all fear" That was above and beyond my understanding. True love, in my mind, did just the opposite it brought with it a powerful fear, "If I truly love, then my heart is left open to hurt and scars. Only those you love can hurt you, if you didn't love you would care about their absence, broken promises, miscommunications, death, hurt when they hurt, fear when they fear, or the like."

The what if's and dangerously real threats of pain that affection and deep relationships brought with them have made me stiff arm when I should have embrace and put on a facade when called to be transparent.

This week, absently listening to my play list while I ran through down town, these lyrics almost took my breath away: 



It hit me "there is love that came."

Reveal in this for a moment, where you may have earned love but it is unable or refused to stay.

Love that you never could have enticed or manipulated to come, came.


Love that comes every morning:

"God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
    his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
    How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
    He’s all I’ve got left." Lamentations 3:22-24

As you walk through your day, do you know what trails behind you:

"Your beauty and love chase after me
    every day of my life." Psalm 23:6


What promise this love that came makes:

“This exile is just like the days of Noah for me:
    I promised then that the waters of Noah
    would never again flood the earth.
I’m promising now no more anger,
    no more dressing you down.
For even if the mountains walk away
    and the hills fall to pieces,
My love won’t walk away from you,
    my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.”    The God who has compassion on you says so." Isaiah 54:9-10
There is love that came very tangibly through four strangers that night in the park. 

 There is love that came in the mundane, to shepherds and sheep. 

 There is love that came in power, I mean bring breath back into his own lungs! 

 There is love that comes in our mundane moments. 

 Love that comes in power when death seems to reign. 

 Love that we can tangibly give with out fear.
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